Saturday, August 31, 2013

It all makes sense now. The VMAs are held in August in order to influence the trendy Halloween costumes of the year! Forget Lady gaga's outfit -that would take more than two months of serious workouts to pull off. On the other hand, Miley Cyrus was apparently going for comedy. In this video, David Correos shows you how you can recreate her look. He looks the part, but needs more practice with the tongue. His went back in mouth occasionally. (via Daily of the Day)

James Jamerson was one of the most influential bass players in American pop music. He played on many of Motown biggest hits, usually uncredited. In this video, his recreated bass line from Stevie Wonder's "For Once in My Life" is examined visually.

Wonder’s version of the track is often singled out by bassists as the greatest example of James Jamerson’s playing style, with no two bars of music played alike during the whole song; a completely improvisational line that is both melodic and complementary to Wonder’s vocal.

Got an itch that needs scratching? Give yourself a hand, and arm, with the Zombie Back Scratcher from the NeatoShop! This drop dead funny back scratcher is shaped like the undead hand of a friendly zombie.

The Zombie Back Scratcher is handcrafted in the USA by local artisans and no two are exactly alike.

The German science group Kurzgesagt produced this lovely motion graphics video explaining our Solar System, newly translated into English. It is simple enough for schoolchildren, but if you watch long enough, you'll run into things you don't already know. (via mental_floss)

This week's mental_floss video is hosted by Grace Helbig of DailyGrace. She runs down some celebrity arrests that you might not have heard of because they happened long ago or before the perpetrator reached stardom, were swept under the rug, or you just forgot. Many are embarrassing because they are just plain weird.

Of course dog loves babies -who doesn't? To be fair, cats love babies, too; they are just less rambunctious and entertaining about it. My cats are surprisingly patient with puppies, kittens, and humans under five years old. Humans older than that may get a lesson in respecting personal boundaries. (via Tastefully Offensive)

Are you looking for a sweet way to honor someone's love of sugar skull art? Gift them the Day of the Dead Skull Tissues from the NeatoShop. These beautiful designer tissues feature a colorful sugar skull design.

Last week we got the news that Ben Affleck will play Batman in the sequel to The Man of Steel. Then we learned that Bryan Cranston has been cast as Lex Luthor. And already, we have a fan-made trailer for the film, starring Affleck, Cranston, and Henry Cavill as Clark Kent, edited together from many sources by solyentbrak1. (via Uproxx)

Iain Heath is better known on the internet as Ochre Jelly. Under that name, he astounds us on a regular basis with his recreations of real-life events rendered in LEGO bricks. Heath has an eye for figuring out the exact sizes, shapes, and angles to make the bulky and limited LEGO pieces look exactly as they should for the project at hand. Let's look at some more of Heath's versions of pop culture memes, in an article I posted at mental_floss.

British biologist/comedian Simon Watt bringing attention to endangered
species that are not magnificent, cute, or even plain. In fact, they are
downright ugly. The Ugly Animal Preservation Society is a campaign to aid conservation efforts for these creatures. (via Treehugger)

Slackstory explores another movie trope by making it into a supercut. How many times have you seen two people almost kiss but don't quite make it?In real life: never. In movies: all the time! (via Tastefully Offensive)

Singer Sunny Ozell shares a snippet of conversation with her fiancé, Sir Patrick Stewart. How awesome could it be to get personal acting lessons from a master thespian! Next lesson- how to hold the camera horizontally. Let's all say it together: "Her buns are the best!" (via Digg)

When I say "video game rooms," I'm not talking about arcades or basement rec rooms, but each is a room in a home that is decorated around the theme of one video game. The attention to detail in these rooms is fantastic; in fact they involved so much more than buying stickers or printed bedding and accessories. They are all labors of love, in this list I posted at mental_floss.

Back to school time is here. Are you looking for a bag that is da bomb? Brace yourself for the Bomb Squad Messenger Bag from the NeatoShop. This fantastic, 100% cotton canvas bag, features a retro looking Bomb Squad design.

Dean Norris plays Hank, the DEA agent in the TV series Breaking Bad. To be honest, this video contains no spoilers. But it would, if the powers that be had accepted Norris' script for the final episode. (via Uproxx)

Monday, August 26, 2013

Friday night, voice teacher Sarah Horn went to see Kristin Chenoweth and the L.A. Philharmonic perform at the Hollywood Bowl. Part of Chenoweth's show is a duet of "For Good," a song from the Broadway musical Wicked, and an audience member is selected to sing it. When they asked who knew the song, Horn volunteered, and was brought on stage. Here is an alternate video with a better view, but more audience noise. From the reaction backstage afterward, Horn may be destined for bigger things.

Paul Geller, Production Director at both the Hollywood Bowl and the Walt Disney Concert Hall pulled me aside afterward. He said that the production staff is very picky about the quality of performers that they allow on their stage and that what was produced in that song was better than anything they could have planned. He took down my contact information because at some point during the last three songs, he got a phone call from the LA Times wanting to know if I was an audience plant and asked my permission to pass on my contact information for them to speak to me directly, if needed.

Four-year-old Kyla Wolffe and a tiny gorilla mimic each other through the glass at the Atlanta Zoo. So, who is really on display and who is observing a strange and different creature? (via Viral Viral Videos)

Has finding the perfect ice tray for your next cocktail party finally driven you batty? Embrace the insanity with the Bat Ice Tray from the NeatoShop! This fantastic reusable silicone mold makes 10 bat-shaped ice cubes.

Back in the 1960s, when adults were still under the delusion that children loved clowns, Post advertised their Sugar Rice Krinkles with a clown apparently named Ka-rinkle. The stuff that fueled our nightmares. (via Laughing Squid)

Sunday, August 25, 2013

In the clip from movie Cracking the Codes, shares a story from her life about white privilege, a concept that most white people don't know about, or else take for granted. But with privilege comes responsibility. (via Metafilter)

Are you looking for the perfect gift for your favorite little baby monster? Give them the My Little Monster Bathrobe from the NeatoShop! This adorable green terrycloth bathrobe features appliqued eyes, horns and pointy teeth. No little monster has ever looked so sweet.